.Africa

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dotAfrica Steering Committee

The Steering Committee (SteerCom) is built on a multi-stakeholder model and comprises a diverse grouping of individuals and organisations that participate on a voluntary basis. The SteerCom has been established to provide leadership and oversight over both the application process and the launch of the dotAfrica TLD, as well as to provide a vehicle through which the broader African community may participate in the dotAfrica project. The SteerCom is also the precursor to the dotAfrica Foundation that will oversee various developmental projects and initiatives relating to the African Internet and domain name industries.

"Members of the dotAfrica Steering Committee have been selected by the African Internet community and consist of African Internet experts, Country Code managers, Registrars and other volunteers who have a shared vision of a better Internet for Africa. Africa’s new top-level domain (dotAfrica) will be utilised as a mechanism to promote the development of Africa’s Internet services and ecosystem, and to showcase African pride, identity and know-how."
Mohamed El Bashir - Chairperson, dotAfrica SteerCom

Mary Uduma

Mrs. Mary Nma Uduma is the President of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), the mangers of .ng country code Top Level Domain, she is a pioneer Vice President of the Board.

She has over 35 years of working experience in various sectors including Education, Banking, Public Accounts, Government and Telecommunications Regulation.

Mrs Uduma has been instrumental to the development of Telecoms and DNS industries in Nigeria. Under her leadership, NIRA has witnessed a strong growth of the .ng brand in the DNS industry in Nigeria.

She is the Convener of Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF) and chairs the Local Multistakeholder Advisory Group of NIGF; she is the Nigeria’s focal person for the West Africa IGF; she chaired the Organising Committee of Africa IGF 2014; She is an Executive Committee member of Africa Top Level Domain Organization (AfTLD).

Mrs. Mary Uduma represents .ng Registry (NIRA) in ccNSO and had represented Nigeria in GAC for over 4 years up to 2012 when she retired from Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC). She was part of the WSIS 2003 and 2005 processes. She had been a focal person for ITU matters while in NCC.

She is an advocate of Child Online protection.

Mrs. Uduma is a Professional Accountant, holds B.Sc in Accounting, Certificates in Education, Telecommunications Regulation, Public Private Partnership Financing, etc.

Affiliation

Moses Bayingana

Mr. Moses Bayingana is currently an ICT Expert with the African Union Commission. He joined the Commission in October 2007. Mr. Bayingana’s present focus includes coordinating implementation offlagship projectssuch as the African Internet Exchange System and the African Leadership in ICT Program in addition to playing key roles in the development process of AU Frameworks and Strategies on the Information Society. Before joining the Commission, he was coordinating implementation of Rwanda’s National ICT Plan.

Experience over the years includes development and implementation of ICT Policy Frameworks, Plans, Strategies , programs and projects both at national and continental level.

Affiliation

Victor Ciza

Victor Ciza was educated at Adelphi University, New York (USA) obtaining a Master of Business Administration (1983) and prior to this at Faculté Polytechnique de Mons (Belgium) obtaining a degree in Ingénieur Civil des Mines (Mining Engineer (1976).

Victor has has been an active participant on the Internet and governance space in Africa and internationally and has attended many related conferences and training courses in this regard, inlcuding being an active participant in the ICANN process.

Victor is fluent in Kirundi & French and can also speak English.

API (Investment Promotion Agency): Since November 2009 : Member of the Board of trustees

BBs (Burundi Backbone System): Since November 2009: Member of the Board of DirectorsBBs is a public-private consortium that has engaged in building a fibre optic infrastructure in Burundi. It includes Telecom Operators and CBINET.

AFRIREGISTER :Since 2007 : Founder, Chairman AFRIREGISTER (www.afriregister.com) is an e-commerce company and ICANN Accredited Registrar. It has offices in Burundi and Kenya.

PROMOTIC a.s.b.l. :Since 2007: ChairmanPROMOTIC a.s.b.l. (www.promotic.org) is an NGO for promoting ICT based development and the Information Society in Africa.

Government of Burundi :June 2007 – November 2011 : Member of the Economic and Social Council; Chairperson of the Social and Cultural CommitteeSince June 2000 : Member of the National ICT Committee

Commune of RUTANA (Burundi) : 2005- 2010: Elected Member of Municipal Council

Government of Burundi, Ministry of Finance: Oct.1988- August 1989. Auditor General. Member of the Executive Committee of the Public Enterprises Fund. Auditor for EGL (Energy specialized Institute for C.E.P.G.L, African Great Lakes Economic Community including DRC, Rwanda and Burundi).

Government of Burundi : Oct.1987- Oct.1988. Minister of Ener¬gy and Mines.

Member of the Board of Trustees of I.N.S.S.(Institut National de Sécurité Sociale) : 1977- 1982.

Vice President of Burundi’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry: 1978-1982.President of RUTANA’s Development Association (1996-1999).Chair of IGF Burundi since 2009President of PROMOTIC asbl – an NGO aimed at promoting ICT-driven development in Africa

Vika Mpisane

Vika Mpisane is the CEO of the ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA), the country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) Manager for South Africa’s domain. He has broad experience in policy development in areas such as trade and industry, economic policy, labour, education and ICT development. Since 2006 he has served in the Board of Directors (Excom) of Africa Top Level Domains (AfTLD) - the association of African ccTLDs. Since 2009 he is serving as the AfTLD’s President/Chairman, and has (since 2010) provided leadership of AfTLD’s positioning & involvement in the dotAfrica project. He was elected into the council of the ICANN country code Names Supporting Organisation (ccNSO) in 2009 and continues as the ccNSO councilor until 2015. In the council, he is involved in its ccNSO Meetings Program Working Group (WG) and Finance WG. His previous work experience includes working as a Public Sector Marketing Manager at Cortell International (an international business software consulting firm), running his own consultancy, working as a Programmes Director of NEDLAC (National Economic Development & Labour Council) of SA, and working as a Transformation Officer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in SA. A former student activist, Vika graduated with a B.Proc degree in 1997 and LLB (Honours law degree) in 1998 from University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Affiliation

Mohamed Tijani BEN JEMAA

Tijani Ben Jemaa is a telecommunication engineer. He started working in the TV broadcasting station in Sfax (Tunisia) as engineer, then deputy station manager and then station manager. He spent 15 years on secondment at ARABSAT, a pan-Arab organization of satellite communication where he served as control engineer. Tijani followed 16 training sessions of 1 to 6 weeks each in the fields of TV broadcasting, microwaves links, satellite control, satellite ground station, satellite orbital and attitude control. He is graduated in English language, and studied the German language for 2 years. He is member of the Tunisian Engineers’ order since its creation. He was elected deputy secretary general in 1995, and secretary general in 1998 (for 4 years). In 2003, he was elected Vice Chairman of the committee on Information and communication of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations and in 2005, he was elected Vice President of the Federation of African organizations of Engineers.

Tijani used to be an active participant in the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) from the fist PrepCom of the First phase till the closure of the second phase as a Civil Society activist. He was a member of the Civil Society Bureau representing the "Science and Technology" Family.

He participated in some meetings of Action lines’ facilitation, and in 4 of the 6 editions of the Internet Governance Forum (Athens, Sharam El Sheikh, Vilnius and Nairobi).

He is also member of the African Civil Society for the Information Society (ACSIS) since its creation. He is member of its cabinet as coordinator of the North African sub-region since 2009.

He had been appointed in 2007 Executive Director of the Mediterranean Federation of Internet Associations.

His first ICANN meeting was in Paris (June 2008). In March 2009, he became member of the African Regional At-Large Organization (AFRALO), and after the 2009 AGM, he has been elected Vice Chair of AFRALO, and then became member of ALAC and its Executive Committee starting December 2010.

Affiliation

Mohamed El Bashir

Mr Mohamed EL Bashir is an Internet Expert specialized in Internet Infrastructure management, Domain Names System, Country Code Top Level Domains "ccTLD" and Internationalized Domain Names "IDNs". Mohamed is an active Internet user and Professional, He was Founder and President of Sudan Internet Society from 2001 until 2008, its main objectives were to promote internet usage for Sudan’s Socio-economic development. He has been active within ICANN since 2001, handling Sudan ccTLD ".SD" Re-delegation process, .SD is managed by Sudan Internet Society. Mohamed served as a Council member in ICANN's Country Code Supporting Organization "ccNSO" Council representing Africa, and member of ICANN's Board At Large Advisory Committee "ALAC".

He was elected Vice President of African Top Level Domains Organization “AfTLD” between 2004 to 2008.He is involved in Internet, Domain names and Internationalized Domain Names "IDN" Policy Developments in different foras regionally and Internationally.

Mohamed is an Expert in Internationalized Domain Names "IDNs" issues and is an active member in most of IDNs standards and policy developments working groups on a regional or international level, He is a member of ICANN IDN Guidelines Revision Working Group "WG Reviewing IDN guidelines", and also was a member of ICANN President's Advisory Committee in IDNs.

Since 2008 Mohamed joined Qatar’s Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology “ictQATAR” managing Numbering and Internet Domains, He established Qatar’s Country Code Top Level domain Registry and implemented the launch of Qatar’s Country Arabic domain.

He has participated in the UN World Summit for Information Society "WSIS" process ( Geneva and Tunis Summits ) and attended 5 IGF meetings beside presenting and organizing IGF workshops in Vilnius and Nairobi meetings.

Edmund Katiti

Dr. Edmund Katiti is the Acting Head of NEPAD e-Africa Programme, (The New Partnership for Africa's Development), which he joined in November 2005. NEPAD is part of the African Union. On joining the NEPAD Agency, Dr. Katiti first served a Policy and Regulatory Advisor, in which capacity he coordinated the development of policy and regulatory frameworks for NEPAD ICT infrastructure programmes and projects.

NEPADAs ICT Coordinator for NEPAD Agency, Dr. Katiti is responsible for harmonisation and coordination of regional and continental ICT programmes and projects. Dr. Katiti is also involved in convening consensus-building stakeholder meetings and workshops, participating in regional meetings and conferences related to ICT development, conducting studies as needed, and reporting back to the stakeholders.

Dr. Edmund Katiti was responsible for developing and implementing the Kigali Protocol (2006), which is a policy and regulatory framework to accelerate development of ICT broadband infrastructure in Africa. The Protocol is guided by policy principles based on non-discriminatory, open access and equitable joint ownership of the backbone infrastructure across the region; the use of Special Purpose Vehicles( SPV’s) to build, own and operate the NEPAD Network, which is considered a "public good"; and the need to apply the principle of Public Private Partnership to develop the network. The protocol promotes and facilitates the provision of ICT broadband infrastructure on the continent that will support high-quality speed and reliable electronic communication at affordable prices.

He is currently working with the African Union and UniForum with regards to the latter's bid for the .africa New gTLD.

Dr. Katiti's previous roles include Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Kampala International University; founding Director of the Institute of Computer Science, Makerere University, Uganda; President of the Uganda Computer Society (1998-1990); and Chairman of the Uganda National Standards Council (1995-2000).

He studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the South Bank Polytechnic in London, UK, after which he pursued a Masters in Telecommunication Systems Engineering and a Ph.D. in the same field at the University of Essex, UK.

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

William Beedie Esson Scholarship from the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE), 1975/76

Lucky Masilela

Aboulfeth Hamza

Hamza Aboulfeth is the CEO, Founder, and Chairman of Genious Communications, which is the first North African ICANN Accredited Registrar. They host the majority of Moroccan websites. He co-founded Genius Labs and serves as the CEO at Hebergement.Pro, which provides hosting services directed mainly at the European market. He can speak English, French, Arabic and Spanish.

Mr. Aboulfeth opposes the idea of bringing outside investors into the company; he founded the company with $1,200 worth of credit, which went towards the purchase of the first computer.

Mr. Aboulfeth started working at the age of 15 and began the foundations of Genious online in 2003, at the age of 17. By 21, he had his own company. Genious Labs, one of his concerns, is a state of the art photography studio in Morocco. Some of his first forays into technology involved hacker activity, though he realized that this lifestyle would only lead him towards crime and not towards success.

Affiliation

He completed a BTS in Computer Science from Efficom and has also studied at EPITECH - European Institute of Technology

Barrack Otieno

Mr. Barrack Otieno is the Administrative Manager of Africa top Level Domains Organisation. He is a Management Information Systems graduate of the Multi Media University College of Kenya. Mr. Otieno has served at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland as a Fellow and was involved in the preparation of the Fifth and Sixth Internet governance fora in Vilnius Lithuania and Nairobi Kenya. He was also a Commonwealth Fellow to the fourth Internet Governance Forum in Sharm El Sheikh Egypt in 2009. In addition he has also been an active participant in the Kenya and East African Internet governance fora for the last four years through the Kenya ICT Action Network. He is also involved in local, regional and international standards development for the International Standards Organization (ISO 27000 series on Information Security Management ) through the Kenya Bureu of standards Technical Committee on IT Security where he represents the Computer Society of Kenya. Mr. Otieno is also part of the management team of Afriregister Ltd, one of the ICANN accredited registrars in Africa with operations in Burundi, Nairobi Kenya and the United Kingdom.

Neil Dundas

Neil Dundas is an Executive Director of the ZA Central Registry (ZACR), the organisation responsible for, amongst others, the South African "CO.ZA" domain name space. The ZACR has also been appointed by the African Union Commission (AUC) as the Registry Operator for the dotAfrica (.Africa) Top Level Domain.

Neil heads up the Registry Project Team,which is responsible for preparing and submitting the dotafrica TLD application to ICANN. In consultation with the SteerCom, his team is also responsible for the development and implementation of the policy framework and operational infrastructure for the launch and administration of the dotAfrica TLD.

Neil is a qualified attorney and a previous partner with the law firm Bowman Gilfillan Inc. Through his work as an Intellectual Property attorney, working closely with the South African domain name and Internet communities, he has developed invaluable expertise in the legal, policy and business aspects relating to the domain name environment.